The 6-year-old gelding Lane Way stalked the early pace before grinding out a popular half-length win in the $200,000 Eddie D Stakes (G2T) at Santa Anita Park for Hall of Fame trainer Richard Mandella, Hall of Fame jockey Mike Smith, and hundreds if not thousands of micro-share owners that make up the partnership known as MyRacehorse.
Bran was a half-length back in second, coming out ahead in a nose photo over Noble Reflection .
The Eddie D was slated for the downhill turf course but after torrential rain instead started from the turf chute, although still at its originally intended distance of 6 1/2 furlongs.
Despite running fifth last time out in the Green Flash (G3T) at Del Mar, Lane Way went off favored in a field of 11 on the basis of his prior success at Santa Anita, where he won twice at this distance last winter. The son of Into Mischief now has four wins and four seconds from nine tries on Santa Anita’s grass.
“He is just a really nice horse,” Mandella said. “We gave him a good rest. Kind of planned to get him at his best at this time of year and it worked. It doesn’t always, but it worked this time.”
Smith said he was “honored” to win the race named for Hall of Fame jockey Eddie Delahoussaye, part of the legendary Southern California riders’ colony of the 1980s and 1990s.
“I look up to him and still do,” Smith said. “I tried to ride him like he would so I come in and nail them at the last part.”
Lane Way paid $5.60.
The unrivaled Into Mischief, on his way to a fifth time as leading sire, stands for $250,000 at Spendthrift Farm in Lexington, Ky.
Hong Kong Harry Strikes Again in City of Hope Mile
If there was ever a horse for the course coming into this year’s Breeders’ Cup Mile (G1T), it would be Hong Kong Harry . The diminutive Irish-bred has won four of six races over the Santa Anita Park turf, including his late-running victory in the City of Hope Mile Stakes (G2T) Sept. 30.
Hong Kong Harry rallies to win the City of Hope Mile Stakes at Santa Anita Park
Since selling to Boomer Bloodstock for $122,768 at the 2021 Tattersalls Autumn Horses-in-Training Sale, Hong Kong Harry has been one of the top turf milers on the Southern California circuit, racking up graded wins in the 2022 American Stakes (G3T) and the Seabiscuit Handicap (G2T) and Del Mar Mile (G2T) this year for trainer Phil D’Amato.
Sitting a little closer to the pace than he did last time when third in the May 29 Shoemaker Mile (G1T), jockey Juan Hernandez positioned the diminutive gelding in a stalking fourth along the inside rail. Following fractions of :23.51, :47.67, and 1:10.91, Hernandez tipped Hong Kong Harry into the clear with an eighth of a mile to go and he responded strongly, collaring Astronomer in the shadow of the wire.
A neck in front under the wire, Hong Kong Harry ($4.20) recorded the mile on a turf course rated as good in 1:33.77.
“He had his ears pricked ready to go and Juan just did a masterful job,” D’Amato said. “Angled out just like you like to see a turf horse do and motor home. I loved seeing that because he’s kind of more of a docile type horse in the stall, but when he had his heels kicking up the other day it gave me a good indication that he was ready to go.”
Astronomer and Twist completed the trifecta.
Hong Kong Harry, owned by Scott Anastasi, Jimmy Ukegawa, and Tony Valazza, boasts earnings of $775,097 after collecting his fourth graded tally.
Bred by Amarath Business Management, Hong Kong Harry is by Irish stallion Es Que Love out of the Gold Away mare Vital Body.
Leave feedback about this